What is an Air Source Heat Pump?
Air source heat pumps are a financially attractive alternative to Oil, Coal and LPG
In a typical 4 bedroomed house saves over £1,000 every year when displacing Oil or LPG fired boilers
Low maintenance, no annual service visits required
Works when the air temperature is as low as minus 20 degrees
Can be installed in line to reduce costs with existing boiler or as a direct replacement
Air source heat pumps are a viable alternative to fossil fuels such as Oil, Coal and LPG. They use a fan and a compressor to extract heat from the outside air this process converts electrical energy into usable heat.
The process is the similar to that used in a fridge which extracts heat from the food it stores and pumps it into the kitchen. The Air Source Heat Pump extracts heat from the air and pumps it into your radiators or under floor heating pipes and heats your hot water tank.
How do Air Source Heat Pumps work?
A large fan draws in the air from the atmosphere which has been pre heated by the sun. Liquid refrigerant passing through the evaporator at a lower temperature than the air is heated and turns from a liquid state into a vapour
This vapour then passes into the compressor which pressurises it and so raises it to a much higher temperature. The hot vapour then enters the condenser where it is surrounded by water from the home heating system. The water is heated and flows back to the house. This process cools the refrigerent vapour which returns it to a liquid.
The liquid then passes through the expansion valve where its pressure and temperature fall before returning to the evaporator. This process is continuous – passing heat from the atmosphere to the house until the thermostat is happy that the water is up to temperature and the rooms are warm.
For every 1kW of electrical energy required to run the pump and compressor we get 3kW to 4kW of usable heat. This ratio is known as the Co-efficient of Performance (COP). Even when the outside air temperatures are at minus 20°C the pump can still extract heat from the air. The hot water produced is then distributed through your existing central heating system.
The flow temperature of the water delivered by heat pumps is lower than a conventional boiler which is why they are better suited to under floor heating or alternatively larger wall radiators can be installed to maintain the temperature in a home.
How much does an Air Source Heat Pump cost?
We like Air Source Heat Pumps because they are really clever appliances and a realistic alternative to oil, coal and LPG. They reduce carbon and have much lower running costs than conventional systems. They really are just plug and play and require little or no ongoing maintenance.
Air Source Heat Pumps are installed outside of the building and are not disruptive during the installation process. They do not require planning permission and the latest technology is now quiet earlier versions tended to be noisy.
The basic price of the pump and installation is around £3,000 but a comprehensive survey visit would be required in order to ensure that the specification generates sufficiently warm rooms and hot water. Get in quick and apply for a RHP £850 Grant!
